Expectant
by Chris OHB
Summary: Scarlett announces to Rhett that she is pregnant with Bonnie. Yet, their conversation takes a different path with a possibly different outcome.
1. Chapter 1

_Not what you have expected of me, but this what-if has been wandering in my head and I thought I should give it a try!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>"You'll have your baby, Scarlett, if I have to handcuff you to my wrist for the next nine months."<p>

"Seven," she said crossly.

"Seven?"

"Seven more months to go, not nine," she clarified.

"Far be it from me to prolong your torture more than necessary," he laughed.

It was meant to be a sarcastic remark, but something about his laugh puzzled her. In a moment of rare clarity, it stroke her that it was far too joyous for a man who had just proclaimed he didn't want children. She sat up on his lap and stared into his face with frank curiosity. Under her gaze it was suddenly smooth and bland as though wiped clear by magic. His eyebrows were up and the corner of his mouth was down. His eyes were calm too, the familiar and yet unaccountable tiny flame flickering in their depths. Why, he looked almost as if he was happy with the news.

"You actually want it, don't you?" she said unable to hide the genuine surprise from her voice.

He gave her a level look trying to decide if he could salvage the situation. But it was a statement rather than a question and he knew it would be hard to disorientate her.

"Don't act so surprised, Scarlett," he sighed. "I have told you before that I like babies."

"Well, yes, but I didn't think you wanted your own," she rebutted.

"I didn't plan on having one any time soon, that's for sure," he said calmly. "Apparently I was wrong."

"You should have said so."

"You stormed into the room, literally spat on my face that you are pregnant as if a deadly illness has befallen you and then you said you wanted to kill the baby and possibly kill yourself in the process. Did you expect me to act joyful about it?" he was angry again.

His blunt recount of her actions shocked her more than the actions themselves and she dropped her eyes mortified. He put his hand under her chin and jerked her face up to his.

"You have forsaken this dreadful plan of yours, haven't you?" his eyebrows knit in concern.

She nodded. "I… I was in despair… I wasn't thinking clearly…" she mumbled.

He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. That was the closer to an apology he could get from her. And it was good enough for the time being.

She stood up to leave, but pause at the door way. "Why do you want it, Rhett?" she asked over her shoulder.

Maybe –just maybe- if she could understand his reasons, she would be able to find a way to bear through it.

"Novel experiences have always charmed me, Scarlett," he made casual answer. "That's why I married you in the first place."

From that day on a shift of attitude took place, so sudden that she was left disorientated. The sharp quarrels that used to spring up between them ever since they had moved to the Peachtree mansion stopped. Gone along were the barbs, the nastiness and the cutting opinions that could madden her in the blink of an eye. And just like that, as unexpectedly as he had disappeared, the honeymoon Rhett returned. The indulging and entertaining Rhett who had made her believe that marriage could be a lot of fun. With his pampering and his gifts, with his endless efforts to foresee her wishes and please her, with his ribald stories and anecdotes and his sudden fancies to play. At first she regarded his change distrustfully. Her short-term experience in living with him had taught her that compliments were always two-edged and his tenderest expressions open to suspicion. So, she was keeping herself alert waiting for his jeering self to strike. But he never did. Even when her mood swings were getting out of hand and she was spoiling for a fight to vent her frustration, he wouldn't give in like he used to. On the contrary, he was treating her with all the patience in the world, like he was treating Wade and Ella. And if he couldn't smooth her feathers, he was getting out of her way until her tantrum had passed. Week after week the amiability they used to have in the early days of their marriage was reestablished and it was as pleasant as it was perplexing.

Rhett, still being Rhett however, never did anything without waiting for something in return. Two conditions he set early on. Condition number one, she was forbidden to wear a corset. No matter how much she had yelled and grumbled and cursed, he was unyielding. The one time she ignored his absurd request, he literally tore it off her and threaten to burn them all if she dared to do it again.

The second condition was far more infuriating. He insisted on driving her to and from the mills every day.

"Just because I'm with your child, doesn't mean I need supervision. I can take care of myself," she protested angrily.

The last thing she wanted was Rhett spoiling any precious time she had with Ashley.

"I don't want to supervise you, Scarlett," he said patiently. "I'm not going to wait for you outside either. Let me know how much time you need and I'll be there to pick you up when you are done."

"What's the point then? We have a driver for that."

"I don't trust anyone driving you around in your condition other than me," he said matter-of-factly.

It'd been years since they had last done that. Back then when she was pregnant with Ella. It felt weird at first. Knowing that now it was his child she was carrying. And yet, it was familiar and comforting at the same time. For, strangely enough, he had been at his best behavior then, as he was now. Attentive and ready to listen. She didn't know why, but during these rides she had her friend Rhett back. And very slowly, without realizing how it had happened, the time they spent to and from the mills became more alluring than the actual visits and she found herself waiting eagerly for him to pick her up.

It was one of those days, a couple of months later, that she came to understand the true reason behind his actions. She hadn't let him be anywhere near her expanding middle until then and the few times he had tried to touch her she had jerked away from him. But as they were driving back from the mills, the baby moved for the first time.

"Stop the carriage," she said quickly.

He stopped the horse and turned to her, concern written all over his face.

"What's the matter? Are you alright?"

She took his hand under the lap-robe and placed it on her abdomen. Then he felt the faint movement and his expression was that of a totally surprised man. His eyes grew wide open and an even wider grin spread on his face. And maybe it was her idea, but she thought his hand was trembling.

"Has it done it before?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"No, that was the first."

"Can I… again… when it…" for the first time since she knew him, Rhett couldn't form a proper sentence and that was unnerving.

"Alright," she nodded uncomfortably.

They sat silently for a while waiting for something more to happen, but it didn't.

"Is it the baby or the process that you dislike so much, Scarlett?"

The question took her aback for she had never given the matter any serious thought. In her head, it didn't make any difference. Baby and pregnancy were inseparable. But when she raised her head to him, he was looking at her –the alert, eager, waiting look out in the open. Apparently it made a difference to him.

"The process," she said uneasily.

He said nothing more. He picked up the chains and clucked to the horse. And just like that one of her strongest convictions about the mysterious husband of hers crumbled to the ground. Rhett Butler, the most self-sufficient _and_ self-centered man on the planet, had finally wanted something and so he cared about it. His baby. Everything he had been doing over the last months he was doing it for the baby. His reasons were immaterial to her, she told herself. And she tried really hard to push back the heavy disappointment that weighed down in her heart following that understanding.

That night, like every other night, they climbed upstairs to their bedroom, he unbuttoned her dress and he lay on the bed lighting up a cigar, wearing only his trousers. He had always enjoyed watching her in the past. He would help her undress and untie her corset, he would be the one to brush her hair before bed. But over the last three months this ritual had become some kind of a show for him. His gaze wasn't as intense at first, but it was getting more and more with every passing week. She was still uncomfortable with any amount of exposed skin in his presence and the way he was looking at her made her blush to the roots of her hair. It was one thing him actually helping her undress and another him lying there doing practically nothing but staring. She didn't need much help now any way, since she wasn't wearing a corset. On top of that, he had asked her not to rid of her clothes in the dressing room, but do so in front of him. She couldn't understand why. She was showing greatly and she hated her body like that.

But that night she had no tolerance for his inspection. For this was her first day of her forced confinement due to her pregnancy and she didn't like it one bit already. She was frustrated and depressed and the minor annoyances she had so far were intensifying in her head. God, how she hated being pregnant. And the last thing she wanted was being observed. So, with her hands holding the unbuttoned dress in place, she made a move towards the dressing room.

"Stay, Scarlett," came his drawling request.

"Not tonight, Rhett. I'm not in the mood," she said curtly.

"Scarlett," the silent plead in his voice startled her.

"I don't understand what you find in this," she let the dress fall to her feet resigned.

"Then you have absolutely no idea how beautiful you are," he said quietly.

It was meant as a compliment, but it cut like an insult.

"Beautiful?" she flared. "You think _this_," she waved her hands up and down her body, " is beautiful? This is ugly. It's gross," she spat.

He took a sharp breath, taken aback by the obvious disgust on her face. Then he sighed and went to her.

"I can try to explain what I mean if you'll let me," he put his hands on her shoulders, a look of terrible patience in his dark eyes.

"Go ahead," she mocked. "I'm quite curious to know."

He gently pulled her by the hand into the dressing room and had her stand in front of the full-length mirror.

"No," she turned her face away from her image. "I don't want to look at me."

"Just close your eyes for one moment and calm down, will you?"

"Fine," she obeyed.

He began to stroke her arms tenderly and his touch alone had a soothing effect on her temper. Her face relaxed, her jaw line fell into its proper position, her heartbeat decelerated.

"Now, open your eyes and look at you," he whispered in her ear.

"Do I have to?" she pouted.

"Open your eyes, Scarlett," he chuckled.

And when she finally did, he began to enumerate all the details he had noticed after three months of constant watching.

"Look at your skin. Do you see how smooth it is?" he caressed her shoulders. "Look at your face. Over the last few months, it glows, Scarlett. It literally glows. And your eyes are brighter too. You look so healthy and strong. You are radiant."

"I feel miserable. I'm fat and it's only going to get worse."

"No," he shook his head. "You are nor fat, you are curvy. And that's immensely sensual," he pulled up her chemise and revealed her expanding middle. "Look at it, Scarlett. Round and firm. It's the perfect shape."

He rested both hands on it. He never did that on impulse. Only when she would allow him. She looked at them. They were so big they covered her belly almost completely. And they were rubbing it so lovingly. She wondered, not without the faintest of guilt, how many more times he had wanted to do it but didn't. The baby kicked and she placed hers own on top of his.

"I think it likes that," she said softly. "Maybe you should do it more often," she offered.

"Do _you_ like it?" he asked.

"I don't mind it," she smiled.

He buried his lips in her neck. "Any discomfort you may have," he whispered. "Tell me about it and I will do anything in my power to make it go away. Anything, Scarlett."

His breath was sending sweet shivers across her body, spreading goose bumps all over her skin. She rested her head on his shoulder sighing. She felt his hands travelling from her belly to her breasts.

"They are heavier," he murmured. "Do they hurt?"

She hummed an answer, her breath too shallow to utter a proper word.

"Does this make you feel better?" he caressed them gently.

Another hum, even more quiet. Instinctively she turned her face to him seeking for his mouth. The tenderness of his kiss left her limp. He had never kissed her like this before. His fingers were now caressing her face as lovingly as her belly a few minutes ago. The realization flashed in her mind, the parallelism too obvious to let it pass unnoticed. If he cared about the baby so much, then… Then he must care about her too. No, her pragmatism rebelled. He couldn't. She was his pet. He had told her so numerous times. She was his pet. The word stung, it always had, even if she had chosen to ignore it. Her anger was building up again and she opened her eyes. Unaware of her own thoughts, he had his closed, the lines of his forehead relaxed as if he was enjoying this. He must have felt her body stiffening though for eventually he opened them. And she was taken aback. His mask was off, she could tell. He was looking at her and there was a softness in his gaze, a warmness she hadn't seen in it again. There was a name for it, she knew it, but she was too dazzled to find it.

"What else hurts?" he murmured and his voice bore the same tenderness.

_Affection. _ Like one human being to another. The word hit. It registered. She let it sink in her, allowed for it to smooth off the rough edges around her heart.

"My back will soon," she said throatily.

"Where?" he placed his hands at her lower back. "There?"

She nodded stupidly. His palm rubbed the spot with slow circular movements.

"Will this help?"

"I think so," she breathed.

"What else?"

"I won't be able to sleep well at night," she was beginning to actually enjoy this game.

"Will this be any good?" he showered her face with small soft kisses while running his fingers through her curls.

"It might," a faint smile flickered on her lips.

"Should we go and find out?"

"We could," she giggled shyly.

With an effortless move he lifted her in his arms.

She had very faint recollections of what took place from that moment after. Maybe it was the hormones already running wild. Maybe it was his handling her, so very different from any other time. Whichever it was to blame, she could do nothing but feel, all five senses keen and alert. His huge body leaning over her, his warm mouth on her skin, his hands roaming about her rich curves, the harshness of the thick hair of his chest on her tender bosom, the worship in his touch on her abdomen, his hoarse voice near her ear, the smell of his sweat. Above all though, was the overwhelming desire to taste him and touch him back. The novelty of this need puzzled her, for she had never wanted anything but get it over with and quickly. Whether he sensed it too, she couldn't know. The last thing she remembered was the palpable certainty of being cherished. Deep, humid, misty darkness followed. And for the first time after many years, she wasn't afraid of the fog.

"Darling," his voice was warm, but distant.

She wanted to open her eyes, but found it too hard and she resigned. She felt the mattress shifting as he raised himself to his elbow.

"Darling," his voice came closer.

She didn't answer. She wanted to hear the word again.

"Scarlett," it was full of concern now.

"Yes," she smiled keeping her lids shut and she heard as much as felt his sigh.

"Please look at me," his hands cupped her cheek tenderly.

She did so very slowly. He was inches away from her, his brows knit in worry, his gaze flickering quickly over her face for any sign of discomfort.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

"No," she smiled again. "But you made the baby restless. Is there anything you can do about that?"

"Let me see to it," he laughed softly, his eyes bright.

He placed his hand on her middle and began to caress it.

"You really think the baby likes this?" he asked huskily.

"I don't know," she sighed and cuddled closer to his warm body. "But I do."

She instantly fell asleep.

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><p><em>Kind of fluffy, wasn't it? Well, I only gave them what they were asking for! Helping them see what's under their noses, that is! :-) <em>

_I was reading through their honeymoon and the very first months of their marriage and for the first time it stroke that, after New Orleans, he never really gave her an actual chance! His bland and jeering self was there from day one! I was shocked! For the life of me, I hadn't realized it before! So, that's where this one-shot came from... _

_How do you find it? Share your thoughts with me! You know that you make me happy! _

_Until next time, take care! xxx_


	2. Chapter 2

_I have been asked to continue this and, truth to be told, something about it was pricking me to do so too. I do love them so early in their marriage, when everything is still possible and open to change. I'm thinking about a couple of more chapters... We'll see._

_Enjoy._

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><p>CHAPTER 2<p>

The next three months passed by in blistering speed and before she knew it Scarlett was already going through the final month of her pregnancy. And no matter how difficult it was for her to admit it, it had indeed been the most restful and pleasant of her pregnancies. Rhett, true to his word, made sure of it, especially during her forced confinement. He literally took care of everything. He was going to the store everyday to deal with orders, deliveries and pricing. Then he was driving to the mills to oversee things and bring her the ledgers. And when she was too tired and fell asleep before she was through with them, she found them all checked and in order in the morning. And what a comfort that was! Knowing that she could depend on him and she didn't have to worry about anything other than the rapidly approaching due date.

For the closer her due time was coming, the more worrisome and edgy she was becoming again. A growing fear over the upcoming birth she could not understand at first. It wasn't her first labor and she definitely knew what to expect. And she was enlarged and swollen and so very tired of it all. Yet somehow, she didn't want it to end. Because when it would, she feared that everything else would end too. This newly found relationship they shared during the last months. The tenderness, the intimacy. She felt it was still too fragile, too uncertain. He had been so good and tender and pleasant to have around. She didn't want to lose it. Not after seeing how nice life could be with him. A feeling of loneliness and coldness was threatening to overwhelm her whenever she thought about it. Especially if he was to be that distant jeering cad all over again.

Well, two more weeks and we would find out, she mused as she walked to the bed with slow, heavy steps. Totally unaware of his gaze gawked on her dark, sulky expression. She felt him brushing her hair and she sighed. She was going to miss his pampering.

"What is it, honey?" his voice near her ear startled her.

"Nothing," she lied. "I'm just tired, that's all."

He let the brush on the nightstand and wrapped his arms around her.

"Tell me what's on your mind, Scarlett. You know you can tell me anything."

She could, couldn't she? She had done it before. She could do it again. But this was different. How to put that in words? It was stupid and he would laugh at her. Mock her. Yet… It'd been months since he had. He wasn't like that anymore.

"Please tell me," his tone reassuring.

"The birth," she finally whispered.

"You don't have to worry about it, darling," he softly stroked her hair. "I'll be there for you. For as long as you need me to. I won't leave your side not even for a moment if that's what you want. I've told you over and over again that I will do anything to make it easier for you."

She nodded with an unconvincing smile.

"Is there anything else?"

"What about after?" she murmured.

"After?"

"After the birth."

He caressed her jaw with his finger and gently jerked her face up to him.

"I'm not sure I understand," he smiled.

"Will you be there for me after the birth?"

"Why, of course," he laughed softly. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know," she said even more quietly.

"What makes you think otherwise? Am I not here during the last months?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"But?"

"You are here because you care about the baby," she confessed and dropped her eyes again.

She heard him taking a sharp breath and she raised her head perplexed. He was looking at her as if she was mad.

"Go on," he asked hoarsely.

"When the baby comes, you… you…" she didn't know how to phrase it.

"I will stop caring?" he finished for her and she nodded relieved. No man could ever understand her better than Rhett.

"Look at me," he said and she did.

The constant tiny flame in their depths was building more and more as he was searching her face. And then all of a sudden he burst into laughter. The same joyous laughter as the day she told him she was pregnant. But she didn't notice. She was hurt and embarrassed and she quickly broke apart from his embrace and stood up.

"I knew you would laugh at me. That's why I didn't want to tell you," her voice trembling with unleashed tears.

"Come here, my beautiful, fiery child," he reached out for her, but she pushed him away.

"I'm not a child," she flared.

"You are though, my darling," his arms wrapped around her body, pulling her to his lap. "Only a child would be so oblivious to the obvious."

"Nothing is ever obvious with you," she pouted.

"No?" his hands cupped her face forcing her to look at him.

His eyes were afire now. And it was mesmerizing and intoxicating and breathtaking.

"What… What do you mean?" she was confused.

"You truly think I'm doing all these solely because of the baby?"

"Aren't you?"

"Scarlett, _you_ are carrying the baby. _You _are carrying _my_ child."

"_This _obvious I understand," she protested.

"No, you don't. How can I want the baby and not want the woman carrying it? How can I care about it but not about her?"

"Oh," she breathed in surprise.

"Yes, oh," he smiled warmly at her.

"But… but…"

"But what, Scarlett? What more is there to understand?"

"You told me you wanted to keep me as a pet."

"You told me you wanted me for my money," he reminded her.

"I also told you I am fond of you."

"How very heartwarming," he teased.

She laughed uneasily. Had her words affected him that much? Did he want more from her than fondness? And if that was the case, why hadn't he said so? He just did, she recognized. He had told her he cared and he wanted her to care back. Could she? Could she care about this complicated man? This man who was looking at her so intensely, holding her so protectively? This man who had lifted all the burdens from her shoulders and carried them for her? The part of him she had gotten to know during the last months, she could. In a way –she realized- she already did.

"Then you won't change again?" she voiced her greatest fear.

"Change?"

"Ever since we came back from New Orleans you changed. Back there you were different and then that Rhett disappeared. You became distant and mocking and rejecting."

It was profound that he was taken aback.

"I was?" there was regret in his voice.

"Well, yes, you were. And then ever since I told you about the baby… you were _that _Rhett again. And I thought that after the baby… you will become indifferent again. And I don't want you to be… I don't like you like that."

"I don't like me like that either," he admitted.

He hugged her more tightly, his face buried in her hair.

"I will not change again," he murmured. "I'll be as you like me," he caressed the last words as if with wonder.

Again she didn't notice. She was too relieved to notice anything else.

"You promise?"

"I promise," he laughed softly.

"Good," she sighed and cuddled closer to him. "And you better keep that promise, Captain Butler," she warned teasingly.

"Have I ever backed down on anything I have promised you?" there was nothing teasing in his question.

"No," it suddenly became crystal clear. "As a matter of fact, you never have." She looked straight into these black coals of his as if she was seeing him for the first time. "Not even once," she murmured.

"I'm not anywhere near starting now," he smiled.

He sought her lips tenderly, his kiss soft and at leisure. Lately though, even his most gentle touch was enough to turn her weak and needy. So, it was she who made a clumsy attempt to deepen it, hesitantly caressing his lips with her tongue, like he had done to her so many times. Her initiative must have startled him for his mouth paused his ministrations. Embarrassed with her own forwardness she tried to turn her head away. He was quicker. His lips assaulted her with an intensity so dizzying that, although seated, she grabbed his shoulders for support. None was needed. His arms clamped around her crashing her form on his chest, eliminating any infinitesimal distance between them. And just like that, his taste, his smell, his feel, all which were so distinctively him, overcame her, ruling everything out of her mind, his body the only solid thing in her whirling world.

As abruptly as he started this, he put an end to it and with an impatient groan, he sank his face in her hair.

"Never –and I mean never- turn your face away from me," his erratic heaving burned her skin.

She nodded faintly, too breathless to speak. He loosened his embrace only for a moment to lie her back on the bed and he quickly ensconced himself next to her resuming his tight hold. Slowly, his hand went down to her distended stomach.

"No, Rhett, no," she protested knowing very well what was to follow. "It's sleeping now. Let it be."

"I haven't felt it since this morning," he ignored her and heaved her belly to wake the baby. "I will calm it down again. I promise."

It didn't take much time. The baby began to squirm inside her, calmly at first, all the more vigorously under its father's teasing, making her stomach bulge to one side, then the other. Rhett rested his head on his bent arm watching the endless moving of their unborn child, a wide grin on his lips.

"I don't understand what's so fascinating about it," she pouted with the profound satisfaction written all over his face.

Ignoring her once more, he put his hand on the bulge and immediately he was rewarded with a strong push. The grin widened even more.

"Is it painful? Now that it's so big I mean?"

"No, not really. It's just that it can be annoying when you want to sleep," she stressed the last word loud enough.

To her surprise, Rhett leaned over her abdomen and kissed it gently.

"Mama is scolding us," he murmured to the mound. "You'd better go back to sleep."

His hand began to stroke her belly from top to bottom with slow, smoothing movements and a while later the restless activity abated until it finally stopped. She stared at him finding it impossible not to marvel at his strange whims and unusual talents. How many more surprises was she to expect from this husband of hers?

"There," he said pleased with himself. He raised his eyes to her and met with her curious expression. "What?" he smiled.

"You are the most quaint man I have ever met," she smiled back.

Her comment was received with roaring laughter. He put his arms around her again and pulled her close.

"I have been called a vast number of things, but quaint wasn't one of them," he admitted. "I guess I'll have to add it to the very long list of my charms."

"Add conceited too," she teased.

"That's already there, darling," he kissed her hair.

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><p><em>I thought I should have her puzzling over his feelings for her and hers for him a bit longer... Did it work? <em>_How do you find it? Share your thoughts with me!_

_Until next time, take care! xxx_


	3. Chapter 3

_Well, here I am again! Can you tell that I miss this too and can't keep away for long? I'm addicted to this fantom and that's that! _

_The birth of Bonnie! Enjoy!_

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><p>CHAPTER 3<p>

The first pain began at daybreak. The familiar, unmistaken signal that the baby was to be born soon. It was going to be a long tiring day, she sighed. She wondered whether to wake Rhett or let things progress a little, but before she reached a decision, she felt his arm wrapping around her.

"Are you alright?" his voice throaty with sleep.

She couldn't help but smile. Of course he would wake up on his own. He had always been a light sleeper, but over the last weeks he seemed to be half sleeping most of the nights, jumping with every singly noise.

"For the time being, I am," she said gently.

His body tensed.

"You think it will be today?"

"Yes," she set to answer, but her belly under his hand tightened and she drew a sharp breath instead. She sighed soon after and she heard him sighing too, as if he had held his breath along with her.

Without another word he was out of bed, into his robe and running out of the room. She tried to explain that there was no need to rush, for they had plenty of time ahead of them, but apparently the only information able to register in his mind was that the baby was on its way.

"Mammy is sending the children to Aunt Pitty and she will be here shortly. Pork is fetching the doctor," he announced upon his return, his voice so unnecessarily loud that puzzled her.

She watched him put on his clothes, his moves jerky and sharp to the point of clumsiness, so unlike him. Another contraction struck and he froze to his spot. When she opened her eyes, she found him half-dressed staring at her. He was strikingly pale for his dark complexion, his face unnaturally calm as though with great effort. He sat next to her and he placed a hand on hers hesitantly.

"Are they strong?" he asked flatly.

Was he actually faking calmness? And what about his eyes? There was a weird gleam in them. Apprehension?

"Not yet. Do you want some help with that?" she teased pointing at his unbuttoned shirt.

Seeing her in a good mood his shoulders relaxed slightly and he chuckled. "No. I think I can manage."

He set to button it up with trembling hands. Now, that was a sight for sore eyes. The almighty Captain Butler had lost his nerve completely. It was amusing and somehow so very sweet.

"Scarlett, how long were your other labors?" he kept his eyes focused on his buttons.

"Not very long. A few hours."

"How few?"

"I don't remember, Rhett. Ask Mammy. She'll know."

He nodded.

A new contractions made her bend forward, biting her lips. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it in his. She breathed heavily for a moment and then relaxed.

"It will be over before you know it," she felt the need to reassure him.

"No, it won't," he sighed, but wouldn't let go of her hand. "I am the one supposed to comfort you though," he attempted to humor his anxiety away. "Not the other way around."

"Well, this is the one thing that I have more experience than you," she smiled at him.

Mammy came in ready to prepare the room for the upcoming birth. She opened her mouth to ask Rhett out of their way, but Scarlett waved her not to just yet.

"Will you walk with me until Mammy sets the bed?"

"What if another pain comes?" he fretted. "You may get hurt."

"That's why I ask you to walk _with_ me," she offered him her hands to help her up.

They walked slowly around the room, pausing when a pain came and going on when it eased. They were getting stronger and more frequent by now and he was growing paler with every new one.

"What good is this for you?" he asked, when another one ended, trying in vain to make sense of the situation.

"It makes things progress quicker," she panted breathlessly.

"You can lie down now, Miss Scarlett," Mammy said.

Rhett helped her back on the bed with obvious relief and sat next to her.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" he caressed her flushed face.

She grabbed his hand in the place of an answer and buried her face in the pillow trying to muffle a moan.

"Who am I kidding?" he mocked himself. "I'm no use in here or anywhere else."

It was very recently she had come to realize that humor was his way of dealing with almost everything, himself included. She couldn't help but smile with his hopeless expression.

"This is helping alright," she caressed his hand tenderly.

"I can do that then," he took heart. "Hold your hand or do whatever else you tell me to."

"Rhett, you aren't allowed in here and you know it."

"I don't care whether I'm allowed or not. I'll stay if that's what you want."

She knew he would. And she wanted him to, at least for a while longer. She had always felt stronger when next to him as if his vigor was contagious. She looked at him though, pale and nervous, and she couldn't say the words out loud. For once, there was something that Rhett couldn't handle. He wasn't even trying to appear composed anymore. He was sick worried already and they weren't half way there yet. And things were only going to get worse. No, she couldn't put him through this no matter how nice it would have been.

"Trust me, it's not a pleasant sight," she teased. "You wait outside until I am presentable again."

Dr. Meade came into the room and Rhett knew he had to come out. He leaned over her and left a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'll be right outside that door the whole time, alright? Call me if you change your mind."

She nodded and she watched him walking out of the room with the less confident stride she had ever seen in him. The door closed after him locking his comforting strength away from her.

"Let's see how you are doing, Scarlett," the doctor brought her back to reality.

In Scarlett's mind, time would always become irrational and uneven during labor. When the pains were building, the minutes seemed to be stretching out forever. In the blissful, much-needed intervals they were passing by in the blink of an eye. It wasn't long before she couldn't keep herself from moaning with every new contractions. She was clasping on anything in her reach trying to get through them. Perspiration was running down her face from all the effort, as she was writhing endlessly from one side to the other, desperately waiting from them to ease. And so on and so forth.

An indefinite while later she felt a delicate hand taking hold of hers and a wet towel cooling her hot face, grateful for the momentary relief it provided her.

"I got here as soon as I received the news, darling," Melly's soft voice followed.

"How…" she meant to ask, but groaned anew. More writhing, more panting, more clasping.

"Try not to talk now," a smoothing caress on her hair.

She let out a despairing sigh and her body relaxed.

"How is Rhett?" she finally managed to say.

"Oh, Scarlett," Melly giggled shyly. "I'm afraid he looks much worse than you do."

She tried to laugh but failed miserably. The smile turned into a distorted frown accompanied by another loud groan.

"There, darling. Keep your strength. It won't be long now," she reassured her.

And time stood still. No ending pain. Burning, ripping through her, tearing her in two. An authoritative voice giving orders she couldn't hear. Another, more gentle, urging her encouragingly. Agonizing screams from a voice she couldn't recognize as her own as she struggled to push the baby out in the world. Then, relief and her body collapsed on the mattress exhausted. And in the blur of the moment, the whining cry of life.

"It's a girl," Dr. Meade said and placed her on her belly.

She opened her eyes wearily and met with the red face of the newborn. Instinctively her hands were around her, pulling her closer to her heart making smooth shushing sounds to her. Little by little the crying seized. And the tiny lids opened and looked straight into hers, milky blue into emerald green.

"Hello there," she whispered.

She caressed the wrinkled face with her finger. First, the barely noticeable brows, then the small nose and the rosy lips. Her daughter. Their daughter. The word bore a warmness in her chest, quickly spreading through her body like a fiery wave. The unknown, tingling sensation brought tears in her eyes that soon enough dropped down her face blurring her vision. Unable to quite understand her sudden emotional state and before she had a chance to get hold on its significance Mammy's black hands were taking her baby away from her.

"No," she protested.

"I'll give her right back to you, my lamp. After her first bath."

A while later, nothing in the room could give away to the agonizing hours that had preceded. The bloody sheets were changed with clean ones, Scarlett had changed into a new nightgown too and the baby was sleeping peacefully in her arms, carefully cocooned in swaddling clothes.

"She is so pretty, Scarlett dear," Melly finished brushing her hair.

"Please ask Rhett to come in now," she requested calmly. She wanted to be the one to tell him about their daughter.

Daughter! Suddenly alarmed, she realized that they hadn't really talked about preferences during the long months of her pregnancy. What if he wanted a son? What if he wouldn't care about a daughter?

Her fears were short-lived though. Rhett burst into the room the moment he was allowed to and reached her side with long strides. She had barely raised her head to him when his lips met hers kissing her with a mixture of urgency and relief. He breathed her in for a moment too long, his hands cupping her face and then he broke apart.

"Are you well?" he whispered.

"I am," she reassured him. "So is our daughter," a faint hesitance in her tone.

Rhett turned his attention to the bundle in her arms and she instantly felt silly for worrying about his reaction. Pure, unutterable joy spread on his swarthy features as he took in the sight of their child. He extended a trembling hand and caressed the little face with his finger, like she had done only a while ago. And he laughed softly when the tiny mouth began to seek aimlessly for something to suck.

"Scarlett, she…" his voice croaky and trembling like his hand on his daughter. In less than a few months Rhett couldn't phrase a proper sentence again.

"She is perfect, isn't she?" she finished the sentence for him.

He raised his eyes to her, afire and watery. Every single emotion he was experiencing was profound on his face. He was moved and happy and proud and apparently lost for words. He nodded and she rewarded him with a bright smile. He kissed her again, a kiss different from any other, trying to communicate his feelings through touch.

"Thank you, my darling," he murmured on her mouth.

"Do you want to hold her?"

His eyes shone with excitement as she passed him the baby. He brought her close to his face, lips and nose touching the silky skin and he closed his eyes to revel in the moment.

She snuggled deeper into the covers. She was tired and sleepy, but she didn't want to take her gaze of them just yet. But her lids got heavier and heavier no matter how hard she tried to keep them open. Powerless to fight it back any longer, she surrendered to her body's needs, the sight of him with their daughter accompanying her into a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><em>It felt natural for me that Scarlett's changing feelings for Rhett would expand to their daughter! I don't know if it feels plausible to you! Share your thoughts with me! <em>

_I want to experiment on Scarlett's first visit to the mills after the birth on the next chapter! I want to mess with everyone's reactions a bit -Ashley's, Scarlett's, Rhett's- and see how it goes! After that I really don't know! Open to suggestions, as always! :-)_

_Until next time, take care! xxx_


	4. Chapter 4

_I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoyed writing this chapter! So much fun! However, I need to apologize in advance for taking pure dialogue out of the book! Hope it's ok! I usually change it a bit, but I didn't want to change Ashley's words here and MM wrote them so much better than I could ever have! Obviously (and sadly), I don't own GWTW or the characters or anything about it! _

_Enjoy!_

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><p>CHAPTER 4<p>

Ever since the birth of their daughter, Rhett's conduct astonished everyone. Who would have thought that Rhett of all people could be so openly proud of fatherhood. Especially when taken into consideration that his first-born was a girl and not a boy. Even more bewildering was the fact that the novelty of fatherhood didn't wear off after the first weeks. He was deliriously happy and so proud of anything about her. Her beauty, her resemblance to her mother, her intelligence, her many talents. Everything was a wonder to him and he boasted about them to anyone willing to hear. In any other occasion, Scarlett would have been embarrassed about it. It was something unmanly in the display of such love for a child. Yet she didn't mind. Not one bit. After witnessing his attitude during her pregnancy, she knew that nothing Rhett ever did could surprise her anymore. She was used to his oddities by now and somehow she had come to found them refreshing. Besides, she had found herself inexplicably attracted to their daughter as well.

For reasons she couldn't clarify she immediately grew a vast interest in the baby in a way she had never done with her other two children. She would watch her sleep and talk to her when awake, she got involved in taking care of her and become excited with anything new she was doing. And of course, she thought her breathtakingly beautiful and too smart for a baby. But she would never admit it in the presence of others, not even Rhett. Even when people would tell her that her daughter was the spitting image of her, she was dismissing the compliment nonchalantly. One doting parent in the house was enough, she mused to justify her uneasiness and confusion over these new-found feelings for the baby. Deep inside though, she was bursting with pride.

The name they had agreed upon for their daughter was Eugenie Victoria. One day, however, during one of Melanie's frequent visits, she unwillingly bestowed her a name that blotted out their original idea.

"Her eyes are going to be pea-green," Rhett leaned over the baby.

"You really think she will have my eyes?" Scarlett said with barely masked enthusiasm.

"Indeed, she is not," Melly cried indignantly. "Her eyes are blue and they are going to stay blue, like Mr. O' Hara's eyes. As blue as the bonnie blue flag."

"Bonnie Blue Butler," Rhett laughed and turned to Scarlett for approval.

"Three Bs?" she teased. She did like the sound of it though and she raised her hands in resign. "Bonnie Blue it is then."

* * *

><p>Nothing could ruin her spirits that morning. Not even the hard moment of truth when she tried to put on a dress and realized she didn't fit in it. She kept on humming a happy tune, while Lou was modifying one, trying to decide which hat to wear and how to do her hair. For after six whole months that was the very first morning she was able to go out again.<p>

"Someone is mighty happy this morning," Rhett joked from the door frame. "May I ask why?"

"I am going out today," she said melodiously and gave him a bright smile.

"How could I have possibly forgotten that," he smiled back. "The beast is released from captivity at last. And what are your plans for your first day of freedom?"

"Why, I'm going to the mills, of course. I can hardly wait to sniff the smell of freshly cut wood again," she sighed merrily.

She turned her back to him to slide into her dress and didn't see his smile falling into a thin line.

"Indeed," he flatly said.

She took a last glance of herself at the mirror and fully satisfied with her looks, grabbed her hat to make a leave.

"See you at dinner, darling," she kissed him on the cheek and walked out of the room. So impatiently that she didn't notice the carefully placed mask on his face and the dark impenetrable eyes following her until she was out of sight.

Such a bright day it was. During the long drive through and out of the town she was looking around ecstatically observing everything as though for the first time. Only when the mills caught her eye from afar did it cross her mind that she was going to see Ashley again. She hadn't seen him since before Bonnie was born and she hadn't even noticed a moment ago, she realized with great surprise. Well, it didn't matter anyhow. She was here now and that's what was important. Ashley came to the door of the little office, his eyes joyful with pleasure of seeing her again. This ascertainment, however, didn't bring along the usual joy. Bewildered with herself, she let him hand her out of the carriage and into the office. She was eagerly looking at his face trying to find something -anything- to revive the old tingling feeling of excitement that his proximity used to evoke in her, but failed miserably. In front of her stood a different man. His hair was grayer, his face tired, his once proud shoulders shrugged as if by an invisible weight. Was he like that the last time she had seen him? Even his voice -once resonant and musical- had now a dull, almost resigned tone. What had he done with her golden knight? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't detect the smallest resemblance to the man she had fallen in love with eight years ago. An unsettling feeling was building in the pit of her stomach. What was wrong with her? That was Ashley. Her Ashley. She hadn't laid eyes on him for months and now she was finally here, alone with him, and yet she felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.

The unsettling feeling intensified when she went over the books of his mills and compared them with Johnnie Gallagher's books. She said nothing, but Ashley read her face.

**"****Scarlett, I'm sorry. All I can say is that I wish you'd let me hire free darkies instead of convicts. I believe I could do better."**

**"****Darkies! Why, their pay would break us. Convicts are dirt cheap. If Johnnie can make this much with them…"**

**"****I can't work convicts like Johnnie Gallagher. I can't drive men."**

**"****God's nightgown! Johnnie's a wonder at it. Ashley, you are just too soft-hearted. You ought to get more work out of them. Johnnie told me that any time a malingerer wanted to get out of work he told you he was sick and you gave him a day off. Good Lord, Ashley! That's no way to make money. A couple of licks will cure most any sickness short of a broken leg…"**

**"****Scarlett! Scarlett! Stop! I can't bear to hear you talk that way," he cried. "Don't you realize that they are men… some of them sick, underfed, miserable and… Oh, my dear, I can't bear to see the way he has brutalize you, you who were always so sweet…"**

**"****Who has whatted me?"**

**"****I've got to say it and I haven't any right. But I've got to say it. Your… Rhett Butler."**

Rhett? What did Rhett had to do with anything? she puzzled unable to quite understand what he was telling her.

**"****Everything he touches he poisons."**

Her mouth dropped ajar, astonished by his bluntness. She thought of Rhett's hands, big and strong as they were. How many times they had comforted her. And his touch. So gentle at one time, so thrilling the next. What did Ashley know about Rhett's hands? She felt the anger quickly flaring inside her. He had no right.

**"****And he had taken you who were so sweet and generous and gentle, for all your spirituous ways, and he had done this to you… hardened you, brutalized you by his contact."**

Good Lord! In which world was this man living? Certainly not this one. Rhett hadn't done all those things to her. It was the War. She couldn't even remember the last time she was sweet and gentle. If she ever had been. Was that how he regarded her? A pretty mealy-mouthed ninny, save for the spirituous ways? Why, she wouldn't have lasted an hour during the War if she had been.

**"****If he were any other man in the world, I wouldn't care so much… but Rhett Butler! I've seen what he's done to you. Without you realizing it, he's twisted your thoughts into the same hard path his own run in."**

The hard path alright. Was there any other way? How did he think she had bought this business and made it thrive? With gentleness and sweetness and generosity? If only it was that easy. Rhett hadn't twisted her thoughts. Rhett was the one who had helped her see clearly for the first time in her life. Without the veil of hypocrisy and prudery blurring her vision.

**"****Oh, yes, I know I shouldn't say this… He saved my life and I am grateful but I wish to God it had been any other man but him!"**

The last word was the strike that broke the camel's back.

"Ashley," she said sharply, but he didn't hear her lost as his was in his musings.

**"****I tell you I can't bear it," **he went on,** "seeing your fineness coarsened by him, knowing that your beauty and your charm are in the keeping of a man who… When I think of him touching you…"**

Touching her? No man had ever touched her like Rhett did. No man could have. And he dared to speak of it with disgust?

"Ashley," she shouted boiling with rage now. She had heard enough.

He wasn't looking at her up until then. When he did, he drew a sharp breath and took a step back. He had heard of her temper, but never before had he witnessed it with his own eyes. She was way past furious it seemed, her face flushed, her eyes gleaming dangerously spitting green fire.

**"****I apologize most humbly, Scarlett,"** he mumbled, suddenly realizing that he had said too much.

"Do you?" she mocked.

**"****I've been insinuating that your husband is not a gentleman and my own words have proved that I'm not one."**

"That's one way of putting it and it's certainly an understatement," she said through clenched teeth.

"Scarlett, I…"

"You haven't just proved that you are not a gentleman," she ignored his attempt to speak. "You have also proved that you are the most ungrateful man ever existed."

She couldn't hold back the cruel tone in her voice. Like she couldn't control the words that began to pour out of her mouth with stunning ferocity. His accusations had pushed her to the limit.

"Fine way of showing your gratitude for the man who has not only saved your neck, but has also saved the life of your wife and your son risking his own life in doing so. And instead of being on your knees kissing his boots for the rest of your days, you speak ill of him. Of the very same man who lent me the money to buy the mills that provide roof over your head, food on your table and clothes for your family. The man who is _my_ husband," she was heaving with wrath now.

His eyes grew wide with shock and mortification.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett," he said again. "I had no right."

"First you insult me and then you are sorry?" his lack of nerve only served to fuel her anger. "Of course you have no right to talk to me like that. To talk about Rhett like that. What wrong has he ever done to you? Why do you loathe him so much?"

"I don't loathe him," he protested.

"No? Then explain this to me," she provoked him. "Why didn't you feel like this about Frank? I was married to him too. He was touching me too. Yet you didn't care much about it, did you? Why is that? Because he was old? Because he wasn't good-looking? Because you felt superior?"

"Scarlett," he cried incredulously.

"At least Frank helped me save Tara. What did you do about it? Well, answer me. What did you do?" she demanded.

He remained silent, only dropped his head in shame.

"My point exactly. You did nothing. You saw how desperate I was and you did nothing. You didn't even try to stop me."

"Did Rhett?" his pathetic attempt of a rebut enraged her to the point of blindness.

"Rhett was in jail," she hissed. "There wasn't much he could do from there. Once he was released, he sought me out to make sure I was alright. While the only thing you did was stating what you should have done and how remorseful you were that I sold myself in marriage," she spat with repulsion. "And yet you go on talking about what Rhett did or didn't, like you know anything about it. Like you know him. Well, let me tell you this, Ashley Wilkes. You don't have the slightest idea about who Rhett is and what he has done for me. And it's definitely much more than you have ever done or ever do. So, criticize _your_ doings for a change and leave him or me out of it."

She couldn't stay there any longer or she would slap him.

"And try to remember this the next time you will be tempted to speak your mind," an underlying warning that couldn't be overlooked. "Where would you be if it wasn't for Rhett and me. Good day."

And with that she turned around and walked out of the office making sure to bang the door loudly behind her.

"Just drive around for a while," she told her driver.

She couldn't go home. Not yet. She was still so angry. Rhett shouldn't see her like that or he would know that something was wrong. A shiver run down her spine as she tried to imagine his reaction to all these. She couldn't tell him. Rhett must never hear of this conversation.

The things he had said! How dared he criticize her for her choices in business and in marriage? Ashley of all people. He who knew what they've been through to survive and how far they had come since those awful days. They wouldn't even have survived without Rhett. What would have become of them if he hadn't been there when she and Melly and Beau needed him? They would have never made it out of Atlanta without him. He stole the carriage and the horse, he drove it away from trouble and out of the city. And when she needed the money to buy the mills? Frank would have never given his consent. She had worked so hard to make them a successful business. She had risked everything in the process. Her reputation, her friends, her own safety even. And she would do it all over again if she had to. The mills were her pride, the living proof of everything she had accomplished with her own bare hands. Her personal triumph over poverty and starvation. And Ashley had the audacity to judge her for the way she was running them? Why, the absurdity of it! He had no head for business. He had done nothing to increase their profits, nothing but daydreaming about the past and finding excuses about his incompetence all the time. Much like he had been doing ever since he came back from the War.

An hour ago she would have been appalled by her own thoughts. Yet now, after what had transpired between them, she knew the truth beyond any doubt. Every thought in her mind, every word she had spoken was nothing but the plain truth. Was he always like that? she inevitably wondered. Had she been so blind she refused to see him for who he really was? Had Rhett been right all along? The realization wounded her deeply. And she couldn't tell which one hurt the most. That she had been a blind fool for so many years or that Rhett proved to be right once again. Why hadn't she listened to him? He had told her about Ashley, he knew from the very start. But her stubbornness and her feelings for Ashley had stood in the way. Where had her feelings gone? When did this happen and why? She couldn't tell. She only knew for sure that they weren't there anymore. They were gone for good leaving nothing but disappointment and emptiness behind. A huge gap inside her she knew not how to fill.

That and a growing headache.

"Let's go home now, please," she ordered the driver.

She massaged her temples with her palms. She needed a bath, a hearty meal and a nap. And to hold her daughter. Why did she go to the mills in the first place? She could have taken Bonnie for a walk instead of throwing away her morning listening to Ashley's nonsense. What a waste! she sighed. Soon enough she saw her house at the end of the road and she smiled against her will, her spirits lifting instantly. She was almost there. Once home, she thought keenly, she would be just fine.

* * *

><p><em>Every time I read what Ashley dared to say to her, I get as angry as Scarlett was here! So many hidden insults in his words and in the book, she did nothing but watch him in awe waiting for him to kiss her! Great balls of fire! But in here, things have progressed differently. Rhett had Scarlett on his own for five-six months during the pregnancy and the postpartum period without interruptions and he made the best out of it! Even though he doesn't know it yet! ;-) When I had Scarlett saying carelessly that she was going to the mills, I couldn't keep myself from laughing! The image was so alive in my head. She was indeed going to the mills without hidden intentions, but Rhett got it the wrong way! I always thought she can be so accidentally naive most of the times! <em>

_Anyway, that's what I think! But what about you? How do you find it? _

_Coming next, the aftermath! Mostly R&S with a little surprise! _

_Until next time, take care! xxx_


	5. Chapter 5

_If I have to put a title to the chapter, it would be this: It takes two to make a mess. _

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><p>CHAPTER 5<p>

Fortunately, Rhett wasn't there when she got home. Wade and Ella were about to snack in the nursery and she decided to join them and grab a quick bite herself.

Their mother had become a regular in the nursery since Bonnie's crib was moved there a couple of weeks ago. The children weren't completely at ease around her yet, but her presence was a secret delight for them just the same and they welcomed her with shy smiles. Something was different about their mother lately. She was always in high spirits, sweet and smiling, and she was even willing to play with them from time to time. Maybe she was in a playing mood today as well.

"Mother," Ella spoke first and Wade envied her for her courage.

"Yes, Ella."

"You play dollhouse with me?" she asked, as she was trying to chew a rather big bite of biscuit.

"I will, if you promise not to talk with your mouth full," she gently scolded her.

Wade's face dropped in disappointment. If only he had spoken first.

"Now that I come to think about it, Ella, I have a better idea," he heard Mother say. "Why not choose another game that all three of us can play. I don't believe dolls and dollhouses interest your brother."

He couldn't believe his ears. Did she really mean that?

"Like what, Mother?" he found his voice at last, his eyes wide and shining with excitement over his mother's thoughtfulness.

"How about a round of Domino or Jackstraws?"

"I don't know how to play them," Ella complained.

"I can teach you the rules," Wade volunteered. "Jackstraws is really easy."

"Jackstraws it is then," Mother smiled approvingly at him.

He knew what a difficult task that could prove, for Ella lacked the patience to concentrate on anything for too long. But his mother's praise was reason enough to put up with the drudgery. He was even willing to let her win. And he was rewarded for his sacrifice. The game proved rather demanding for his three-year-old sister and she could barely pick up a stick without disturbing another. Yet the first time he tried to corrected her, he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. Dumbstruck by the affectionate gesture, he raised his eyes to her.

"I don't think she shook anything," she winked at him. "Don't you agree, Wade?"

Why, she was asking him to conspire together. A lump rose at his throat and he did nothing but nod in agreement.

They were in the middle of a second round, when the front door opened and Mother jumped to her feet.

"Wade, can we finish this later?" she said quickly.

Why did she want to leave like that?

"Did we do something wrong?" he fretted.

"Oh, no, no," she bent down and kissed his head. "It's just that I have this horrible headache and I wish to lie down for a while. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes, Mother," he reassured her with obvious relief.

She left a hasty caress on Ella's hair and almost run out of the room. Soon after that, Uncle Rhett appeared at the doorway.

"Uncle Rhett, come and play with us," Ella said. "Mother has a headache and she left."

Uncle Rhett turned over his shoulder and looked at the hallway.

"When did your mother leave, Wade?"

"Just now. We were playing and she felt bad all of a sudden."

"Did she?" he heard him murmuring and he saw his hands jamming into fists.

"Will you finish the round with us, Uncle Rhett?" he tried to draw his attention back to them.

"I will, Wade," he said absent-mindedly, still looking at the hallway. Finally he walked in and took a seat between them.

"I'm winning," Ella said triumphantly.

"Are you, my darling?" he smiled down at her.

Wade went to his ear. "Mother and I let her win," he whispered proudly and Uncle Rhett laughed.

"Don't laugh. I'm winning, I am," Ella complained.

"Of course, honey, so smart that you are," he reassured her. "Now, whose turn is it?"

She run to the bedroom and closed the door quickly before Rhett had a chance to see her. With her back against the door, she prayed that he wouldn't seek her just yet. She wasn't ready to face him. He would see right through her like he always did. She had to put her thoughts in order first and find a plausible excuse to have at hand for when he would ask. For he most definitely would. She heard him talking to the children, holding her breath and counting the minutes. A satisfactory while later, she breathed out in relief. She was safe for the time being.

Somehow she managed to avoid him for the rest of the day. She asked to have dinner in her room and not to be disturbed and oddly enough she wasn't. Neither by the servants, and, most importantly, not by Rhett either. Her initial relief soon turned into disappointment. He hadn't seen her since this morning, she hadn't showed up for dinner, everyone in the house knew that she had a headache and yet he hadn't even come to check up on her. By supper time, she decided she had enough and went down to the dining room.

She found them already seated at the table as though they weren't expecting her. Offended and hurt by the complete indifference to her welfare, she took her place on a chair across him.

"I see you've decided to honor us with your presence," Rhett said nonchalantly.

"I'm feeling much better now. Thank you so much for asking," she tried to match his tone.

"I'm glad to hear it, my dear," he smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes. "How was your day?"

Straight to the point, she thought uneasily.

"Fine, thank you. And yours?"

"Are the mills in place?" he ignored her.

God, he was the most infuriating man in the whole wide world.

"Yes, they are," she faked a smile back.

"That's a relief," he mocked. "And how is Mr. Wilkes, if I may ask?" his gaze daring all at once.

His question caught her off guard. Why would he ask about Ashley like that? Did he know? How could he know?

"He… He is well," she floundered and quickly dropped her eyes.

Rhett snorted and spoke no more.

An uncomfortable supper followed, the repetitive clinking of the forks and the knives the only sound in the room. Even the children sensed the blatant tension between their parents and kept quiet. Mammy took them upstairs immediately after desert leaving the two of them finally alone.

Even then, he smoked his cigar in silence, his eyes gawked on her. And without prior notice he stood up to go.

"Where are you going?" she asked at a loss.

"I am allowed to go out too, darling, am I not?" he said icily.

Not needing an answer he walked out of the dining room.

_He went for a drink and he'll return. Just a drink and nothing more_, she repeated to herself. Hour after hour she waited through the night pacing in the bedroom like a mad woman. She kept murmuring the same mantra over and over trying to ease the sickening ache in her heart. Why was it taking so long then? Why wasn't he home already? What if he… No, dear Lord. No. Not that. Anything but that. He wouldn't go to that creature. He wouldn't do that to her. Rhett cared for her, didn't he? He was mad at her, she could understand that now, because he thought she had something to hide. But he had startled her with his question and she handled it all wrong. She would tell him everything, she would. If only he would come home. The clock had just struck two o'clock in the morning, when she heard his keys on the launch. Paralyzing relief overwhelmed her and she sat on the bed trying to catch on her breath and ease her crazed heartbeat. His light footsteps were coming closer and closer and suddenly panicking she blew off the candle and sneaked under the covers. She wouldn't let him know that she was waiting up for him. Not until she could see what his attitude towards her would be.

He came in the bedroom and she stretched her ears. The door closing quietly. The rustling sound of clothes removed. The thud of his pocket watch and cigar case placed on the nightstand. And then his side of the bed shifting under his weight as he lay next to her. She stood still forgetting to breath. A hesitant moment later, she felt the warmth of his body pressed against her back and his strong arms carefully folding around her.

"Rhett?" she murmured pretending to have jumped out of sleep. "What time is it?"

"Drop the magnolia, Scarlett," he chuckled. "I know you weren't sleeping."

"Wasn't I?"

"The candle still smokes."

Only her feline of a husband could notice that, sharp as his senses always were.

"Oh, Rhett," she turned around laughing and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I feared you wouldn't come home tonight."

"I gave you a promise before Bonnie was born," he explained. "I won't back down on it."

"Rhett, I…"

"Shhhh," he cut her off gently pulling her near. "Don't."

"But, Rhett…"

"I said don't, Scarlett. Go to sleep," he left a soft kiss on her forehead.

She nestled on his chest confused. As her head touched his skin, she unconsciously breathed him in. Whisky, cigars and Rhett. Nothing else. Not even the faintest trace of another woman's perfume. She sighed heavily and snuggled closer. She thought she felt him smiling on her hair and for a moment she worried she was caught in action. He said nothing however, and she dismissed her worry as irrational.

To her utmost surprise, Rhett didn't mention anything the next day either. When a whole week passed by, without even a hint from him, she grew more certain that she might actually be off the hook.

She returned home from the store that Friday evening to find the entire house unreasonably luminous and the dining table set for four. This didn't strike as unusual, since they always had supper with the children. What seemed off and alarming were the flower decoration and the servants restless coming and going.

"Prissy, what's going on?"

"All is ready, Miss Scarlett. Dunno worry."

"Ready for what?" she had an ominous feeling that she wasn't going to like the answer one bit.

"Why, for the supper with Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes, Miss Scarlett. They be here any minute now."

* * *

><p><em><em>That's not what I had in mind for them for this chapter, save for the supper with the Wilkeses which I had. They were supposed to have dinner and then talk. But you know what? <em><em>I have no control over these two characters anymore! They take this wherever they want to and I just follow their lead. Me being a weirdo however, I write backwards, so the next chapter is already written and will be posted in a couple of days! I thought about posting it as a whole, but it would have been too long and would have spoiled the tension! So a shorter chapter and a cliffhanger is what you get! :-) <em>___

_One last thing. I haven't written Wade and Ella before and it was pure pleasure! And I regret not having done so earlier! A mistake I won't repeat again! :-)_

_Tell me what you think! Share your thoughts with me! _

_Until next time, take care! xxx_


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

She felt stupid and manipulated beyond words. And it wouldn't be a first. Feminine trait, they called it. Why, Rhett was far worse than any woman she knew. How many times would she fall into his well-organized traps before finally learning to foresee them? Rhett would never let anything passed unnoticed. When had he ever done that? And now she was a dupe once more. _Fool, fool woman,_ she silently cursed. Furious with herself, but even more with him, she climbed the stairs two at a time and burst into the nursery, her eyes spitting fire.

"Can I have a word with you?"

The children had made a move towards her, but sensing the unbridled tension coming out from their mother, they shrugged back in fear.

"Good evening, darling," Rhett smiled innocently. "Won't you greet the children first?"

Scarlett swallowed hard again and again trying to hold back all the different names struggling to pop out of her mouth. With great effort she turned to the children.

"Good evening, Wade. Good evening, Ella," she said with a fake smile. "Can I have a word with you now?" she asked him again pointing at the door connecting the nursery with their bedroom.

"After you," he waved graciously.

"When were you going to tell me?" she almost shouted at him, once he closed the door behind him.

"Tell you what, honey?"

"That we are having supper with the Wilkeses, honey," she stressed the endearment venomously enough.

"I'm pretty certain I did."

"No, you didn't. Prissy just did."

"How thoughtless of me," he patted his forehead with feigned remorse. "It must have slipped my mind."

"When exactly did you invite them, Rhett?" she was fuming now.

"I was taking a walk with Bonnie yesterday afternoon and I randomly met with Miss Melly."

"Randomly?"

"We talked for a while," he ignored her, "and then all of a sudden we realized that it's been an eon since the four of us last dinned together. So, I invited them over tonight as any proper gentleman in my shoes would have done."

"And why didn't you tell me yesterday or at least this morning?"

"Like I said, it must have slipped my mind," he smiled. "Still I don't see why all the fuss. Since when do you object to having the Wilkeses over?"

"I'm not objecting," she protested uncomfortably. "I just wish I had known in advance."

"You know now. What difference does it make?"

The doorbell rang.

"That they are here already and I haven't changed yet," she said quickly.

"I'd better go and inform them that you'll be with us as soon as you are ready then. Do hurry up, darling," he opened the door. "You don't want to keep them waiting."

"Get out," she hissed.

"And try to look your best," he grinned.

Ten minutes later she entered the parlor wearing the most charming fake smile she could manage. Melly stood up immediately and hurried to her side.

"Scarlett darling," she took her hands in hers. "You look absolutely lovely tonight," she kissed her cheek.

"Why, thank you, Melly. You look lovely yourself," she offered back.

"I feel ashamed that I haven't called on you earlier. I got so worried when Ashley told me you haven't been to the mills at all this week. Are you quite alright, my dear?"

She saw a swift movement with the corner of her eye as Rhett turned his head towards her abruptly and he fixed his piercing gaze on her. That was just perfect! The last thing she needed was Rhett thinking that she was hiding _more _things from him.

"I…I…" she stammered at a loss.

"She was feeling slightly under the weather this week, haven't you, my darling?" she heard him saying and she turned her eyes to him.

He wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Ashley. Who had turned ashen by now. Why, what a coward he was! He was acting as guilty as sin.

"Yes, I have," she tried to salvage the situation. "But I'm fine now."

"I'm so relieved to hear that," Melly squeezed her hands gently, completely unaware of the happenings around her.

"Let's move to the dining room, shall we?" she offered. "Dinner will be served shortly."

Melanie and Ashley walked ahead and Rhett stood next to her offering his arm. She put her hand in the crook of his elbow and caught a quick glimpse of him. Everything was in place. Cool and bland face, unreadable eyes, restrained smile. What a delight this evening would be!

Thankfully, Melly immediately addressed the one topic that would ensure a temporary tension relief between them.

"How is our darling Bonnie? I couldn't believe in my eyes when I saw her yesterday. She grows so fast. And she is becoming prettier and prettier with every passing day."

"Oh, she is, isn't she?" Scarlett unconsciously held Rhett's hand as if looking for confirmation, not at all necessary.

He brought it to his mouth and he kissed it softly. Parental pride had worked as common ground. They instantly began to boast about their daughter, taking turns into relating details of her miraculous progress that could bore anyone but the parents themselves. Yet children had always been Melanie's soft spot and she cried in sincere delight with each one them. Ashley, far more aloof than usual, kept himself disengaged, smiling politely when looked upon.

Which Scarlett rarely did. She had given him a piece of her mind and she had nothing more to say to him. If it wasn't for Rhett's schemes, she would be absolutely fine with not seeing him again for a long time. Only for the sake of propriety and as a courtesy to Melanie did she address him a couple of times throughout the evening. And even then, she was polite yet cold and she would lose interest in his response before he had a chance to offer her one. On the contrary, she was interested in anything Rhett said, laughing with his jokes and touching him as often as appropriate.

Finally, two excruciatingly slow hours later it was time to bid the Wilkeses goodnight.

"We had such a wonderful time!" Melly offered earnestly. "We must do this more often."

"We will, Mrs. Wilkes," Rhett put an arm around Scarlett's waist.

Distanced greetings with Ashley and they were out of the door.

She wanted to sigh in relief, but Rhett wouldn't allow her that luxury either.

"Share a nightcap with me, Scarlett," he waved towards the parlor.

Would this parody ever come to an end? she wondered in resign and followed him inside. She sat on a chair and took the offered glass in her hands.

"That was a lovely evening, don't you think?"

And now he was going to make small talk. This was getting better and better.

"It was alright I guess," she murmured.

"You guess? Why, I found it was very…" he paused searching for the right word, "informative."

"Informative," she repeated parrot-like. She could definitely have found a better word for it.

"Yes, informative," he confirmed. "I learned, for example, that my wife hasn't been to the mills for a whole week and I know nothing about it. Where have you been going every morning, my dear?"

"Just the store."

"Just the store, I see. And why not the mills?"

"I… I didn't feel like it," she said uneasily.

"First you can't wait to go there and sniff the –how did you put it?- 'the smell of freshly cut wood' and then you don't feel like going?"

"I have the right to change my mind, don't I?" she retorted heatedly.

"You most undoubtedly do," he smiled with consent. "Now let's get down to the facts. What happened the other day that made you give Mr. Wilkes the cold shoulder you did tonight?"

"I did nothing of the kind."

"You might as well have sent him to the North Pole, Scarlett. Why?"

There was no way out of it. He had her cornered. She had to tell him. She would be forced to eventually anyway. Better sooner than later. How bad could it be? She should only remember to keep the details vague.

"He…" she writhed nervously in her chair, "he has to know his place."

These weren't the words he had anticipated, for his eyes -indifferently rested on her only seconds ago- grew sharp and alert. She took heart from his reaction. Maybe if she managed to keep the incident with Ashley at a strictly professional level, she could get away with it.

"His place?"

"Yes, his place. That he works _for_ me and not the other way round."

"He has forgotten?"

"As a matter of fact he has."

"How so?"

"He criticized the way I run the mills."

"He dared to do that? Why, the man's nerve knows no limit," he grinned.

"Don't mock," she warned.

"Merely commenting, my dear. Go on."

"There's nothing more to it."

"Yes, there is," he pushed her further. "Did he keep his criticism general or did he have any particular objection?"

"He disagrees with the convicts. He would prefer free darkies."

"You already knew that though."

"Yes, I did. But that doesn't mean it angers me any less."

"Why did it anger you that much this time?"

How naïve of her to think she could trick Rhett. Keep the details vague, she silently repeated again and again.

"Because he thinks that's the reason he can't do any better."

"Maybe it is."

Was he defending him now? She jammed her hands in tight fists trying to keep her raising temper under control.

"No, it isn't and you know it," she rebutted. "He just doesn't have a head for business, that's all. Everything else is only excuses for his incompetence."

"Incompetence?" he drawled. "That's a strong word."

"Yes, yes, his incompetence. That's what he is. Incompetent and weak."

"_And _weak?" he raised a quizzical brow.

"One single look at the books and you will see it too. Gallagher has a remarkable sum at his credit and Ashley barely makes his expenses."

"And that's somehow news for you?"

"Well, no…" her palms were all sweaty and she brushed them against her dress. "But I had enough of it."

"He has been so-called incompetent for years and all of a sudden you had enough of it?"

"Yes, I had. It's one thing to turn a blind eye and be patient with someone and another to be judged for your choices by the same man who can't put two and two together."

"I see," he said and fell quiet.

Was that it? Had she somehow convinced him? She searched his face for the slightest clue, but it was as impenetrable as ever. Damn him and his mask, she swore silently.

"So, let me see if I get this straight," he spoke again putting a violent end to any hopes she might have nurtured. "For reasons I don't quite understand yet, the once proud and honorable gentleman is now incompetent and weak and has fallen into disfavor."

His choice of words, even though they meant only to provoke her, cut her deep and the barely healed wound tore open again. Bits and pieces from that painful day came rushing back and made her blood boil anew.

"Gentleman, my foot," she spat angrily and jumped off the chair. "He is no gentleman. Never was and never will be," she began to pace up and down the room fervently.

"What else did he tell you, Scarlett?" there was something vibrant in his voice that forced her to halt abruptly.

"I tried to explain that the darkies would break us," she kept her back turned to him. "That he shouldn't be so soft with the convicts but give them a lick from time to time, like Johnnie."

"And?"

"He said he can't treat men like Gallagher does. And then he said…"

"Go on," he urged gently.

Oh, she would go on alright. She would tell him everything. Rhett would understand. Rhett always understood.

"He said I was brutalized and hardened and coarsened and my thoughts are twisted," she said with one breath.

A long, pregnant pause followed. The moments stretched painfully, one after another, as she waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Unable to stand it any longer she turned around to look at him. His face was abnormally blank as if with tremendous will power, but his eyes had a terrifying gleam and his lips were pushed tightly together in a line making his jaw seem even harder. His hold on the glass was so strong his combs had turned white and for a moment she feared he would break it and cut himself.

"By whom?" he said so dangerously low that she doubted she had heard him correctly.

A panicking feeling twisted her stomach. This was going terribly wrong. He was supposed to understand her, not get mad at her.

"By whom?" he barked and she took a step back.

She hadn't seen him so angry before. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. And as though that was answer enough for him, she saw him closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to cool himself. Within seconds the mask was set and when he looked at her again, all she could see were two black empty holes in the place of his eyes.

"How unsettling that must be for you, my pet," he grinned maliciously.

"What?" she breathed perplexed.

"Have the man you love regarding you like that because of me."

That she didn't expect. The cruelty of the statement left her breathless for a moment. But then blinding anger raked through her so abruptly that she felt sick.

"You question me all this time and that's what you make out of it?" she shouted at him, her voice shaking with rage. "That I love him and I care how he regards me? That's a fine way of thanking me for defending you, you unworthy cad. Ashley was right after all. Everything you touch you poison."

She quickly turned on her heels to make an escape. She couldn't wait for his reaction. She had to run, as far away from this brutal man as possible. Her eyes were burning with tears and she couldn't hold them back much longer. She would never cry in front of him. She would never let him see how much he had hurt her. But Rhett, swift as a panther, grabbed her fiercely by the arm before she had even reached the doorway.

"Let me loose, you varmint," she cried in pain.

"What did you just say you did?" he asked roughly.

"I have nothing more to say to you," she tried hopelessly to jerk away from him. "Let me go."

He grabbed her other arm instead immobilizing her to her spot.

"Tell me what you said, Scarlett," his voice hoarse and slightly shaky.

"Everything you touch you poison," she said spitefully.

His face twitched as if slapped and his eyes darkened. He tightened his grip, his fingers a vise bruising her skin.

"Before that."

"You are hurting me," she protested.

"Before that," he demanded again.

"I said I defended you," her voice broke and she cursed her weakness.

His features softened, so did his hold, but he didn't let go.

"_You_ defended _me_ to Ashley Wilkes?"

Why was that so hard to believe?

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked defensively. "He was wrong and unfair. Not to mention ungrateful after everything you have done for him and his family. And I told him so."

"You told him that? That he is ungrateful?"

His eyes had already blazed by now and a bright smile was slowly forming on his lips. She could almost hear her heart pound quickly and loudly in her chest.

"You bet I did," she said feverishly. "And I told him that he doesn't know you or what you have done for me and he should rather consider his misdoings before jumping into conclusions about us. And then I told him that he'd better remember where he'd be if it wasn't for you and me."

"About _us_?" he seemed mesmerized by the use of pronoun, like she had said nothing else.

He did that sometimes. Act all awed by the most given of things. Mostly by her choice of words.

"Why, yes. We are married, aren't we?"

He wrapped her in his arms and rested his forehead on hers.

"Yes," he sighed. "Yes, we are."

He pecked her temple, her closed eyes, the peak of her nose, and she leaned back her head to ease the access to her mouth. He kissed her then and her knees went weak. But he was holding her tightly and his lips, soft and tender, began to slowly probe hers with the determination and thoroughness of an explorer in unknown territory. Like he hadn't kissed her so many times before tonight. He tasted her upper lip first, then the lower, then both, then all the way from the start. His tongue followed along. Gently parting her already parted lips more, it licked its way through her teeth until it met hers and teased it with slow, circular movements. Thrills of sensation run down her spine, every hair on her body erected. How did he do that? Make her want him so badly just by kissing her? She felt something hard on her back as Rhett moved her a few steps back and pinned her on the door frame. With her trembling body steadied against the solid wood, his hands went up and cupped her face, his callused thumbs delicately caressing her flushed skin. She pushed her body against his, desperately needing to feel his warmth. Her bosom brushed on his chest and they both groaned in unison. His lips slid from her mouth down to her tall neck. She gasped loudly filling her lungs with much-needed air, but his hot lips on her flesh made her moan again.

And then his ministrations stopped. Dumfounded she looked down at his messy head resting on her shoulder. His hands clutched the fabric of her dress around her hips as he fought to regain his composure. But why did he have to regain it?

"Rhett?" she breathed.

"I…" gusts of hot breath burned her skin as he opened her mouth to explain. "I haven't asked the doctor yet," he finally panted.

What did the doctor had to do with what they were doing? The windmills of his mind could drive her mad. He raised his afire eyes to her. God, she loved it when he looked at her like that, his desire so palpable she could reach out and touch it.

"I can't…" he shook his head as if arguing with himself. "I won't… Not until he says it is alright for me to."

"For you to what?" she was totally confused now.

"For me to touch you again," he said hoarsely.

"Since when do you need the doctor's permission to do that?" she giggled with his absurd explanation.

"You only gave birth two months ago," again the wonder in his voice.

"Oh, Rhett," she burst into laughter. "There's no need for that. I'm fine."

"Your word isn't enough," he smiled.

"But, Rhett," she tried to protest, but his lips hushed her.

"No room for 'but, Rhett' here," he murmured on her mouth. "It's late. Let's go to bed."

"I don't want to sleep," she stamped her foot on the floor.

"I'll go to the doctor first thing in the morning, my beautiful impatient wife," his eyes were full of mirth now. "You _can_ wait one more day, can't you?"

"You are ill-bred and you are conceited," she could barely retain a smile. "And besides, you were the one insinuating this."

"I was only trying to thank you, my darling," he chuckled.

"Thank me for what?"

He took her face between his palms. There was nothing teasing in his eyes or his voice when he spoke.

"For teaching Ashley his place."

"So, you finally understood," she blushed a deep red color but held her gaze steady.

"I did," he nodded. "I'm sorry I misjudged you," he added earnestly.

"You are forgiven."

"There's only one thing I don't understand. Why didn't you tell me right away? Why hide it from me?"

"Because you get all high and mighty, when you are proved right about something, and I didn't want my foolishness rubbed in my face."

"Fair enough," he agreed. "Even so. Next time don't act guilty when you aren't. It raises unnecessary suspicion."

"There isn't going to be a next time," she said indignantly. "I'm only keeping up pretenses for Melly's shake."

* * *

><p><em>So, the air between them is cleared now! I always enjoy their interactions! Scarlett is far too easy a victim and he is playing her like a cat with a mouse. I plan a rather funny next chapter! At least I think it will be! And definitely some steam too! However, I will probably post again next week, since I'm going away for the weekend and I won't have time in between!<em>

_Until then, share your thoughts with me! Take care! xxx _


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